OLYMPIC GAMES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9122, 23 June 1908, Page 5

OLYMPIC GAMES.

A FAST TRACK. Received June 22, 10 35 p.m. LONDON, June 22. "The Times" states that Australian athletes, after testing the Olympic track at Shepherd's Bush, are enthusiastic about its fastness.

Burns, the American boxer, predicts with the greatest confidence that, at the Olympic Gaines American alhletes will carry off the leading events in everything with the exception of the long-distance races, wtiich should certainly fall to England. "New," he said to a representative of a London paper recently, "in the half-mile and quarter-mile we have, beside Paul Pilgrim, who won the double event at Athens, a coloured man named J. B. Taylor, with a recordjjof 48 4-ssec, Harry HillmEn, with Guy Haskins, of the Pennsylvania University, who is both the best half-miler and miler in America to-day; his record is 4rrin 20 2-sth sec. Sullivan and Lightbody are also, good mile runnera,while in the sprint we have Dan Kelly, the holder of the world's record of 9 3-sr.h sec for the 100 yards; Archie Hahn, the winner at Athens; Amsler, of the University of Pennsylvania; and Shick, of Harvard, who could, if their best performances can be taken as any guide, defeat the best men in Great Britain. In the hurdles, Hillman, of the New York Athletic Club, will almost certainly hold his own—with a bit to spare; and English sporting enthusiasts may be interested to learn that the colleges have a man —for the moment I cannot recollect his name —who is said to be a veritable scorcher. The discus event is surely a 'walk-ever' for Mat tin Sheridan, the all-round champion of America and the winrer at Athens, while the pole vault is likewise a 'dead cinch' for us, as we have a number of men who can beat lift Gin. For the 161b shot Ralph Rose and W. W. Coe will, undoubtedly, be able to come off on ton, a* each has succeeded in doing ov.r 49ft."